Don’t Let Cancer Keep You Up

Tips for Getting a Better Night’s Sleep

by Lisa K. Sprod, PhD

Cancer and its treatment can
lead to a number of shortand
long-term side effects.
Of those side effects, impaired sleep
quality is one of the most common and
most distressing, affecting up to half of
all cancer survivors. People with cancer
may experience impaired sleep for
a number of reasons, including pain or
discomfort from cancer, its treatment,
or other causes, and difficulty controlling
worrisome thoughts about their
health, finances, or friends and family.
A person’s sleep quality suffers when
they find it difficult to fall asleep or stay
asleep, or when they wake up earlier
than they would like. This can lead
to excessive napping during the day,
which subsequently may cause increased
difficulty falling asleep the following
night. It can become a very difficult
pattern to break.

Fortunately, there are a number of
recommendations for improving sleep
that are fairly simple to implement.
The following are tips to help you get
a better night’s sleep:

Exercise daily, but do so at least three
hours prior to going to bed. Exercise can
reduce stress and promote a more restful
night’s sleep. Yoga may be especially
beneficial for cancer survivors. Always
consult with your doctor before beginning
any exercise program.

Avoid stimulants, such as caffeinated
coffee, tea, and soda, for at least
eight hours before going to bed.

Avoid nicotine, which is also a
stimulant.

Follow a bedtime routine that helps you relax. This
may include taking a warm bath, reading a book,
or listening to music.

Dr. Lisa Sprod

Avoid consuming alcohol. Alcohol
may make it easier for you to fall asleep,
but it will also make it more difficult
for you to stay asleep.

Avoid eating a heavy meal or consuming
too much liquid before bedtime.
This may lead to excessive nighttime
trips to the bathroom.

Follow a bedtime routine that helps
you relax. This may include taking a
warm bath, reading a book, or listening
to music.

Go to bed around the same time
each night, and wake up at around the
same time each morning, if possible.

Ensure that your bedroom is conducive
to a restful night’s sleep and free
of distractions. Do not use your computer
or watch
television in bed.
Make sure that
the temperature
of your bedroom
is cool
but comfortable
so you
don’t wake up
too warm or
too cold during
the night. Minimize
disturbing noise by turning on a
white-noise machine or running a fan.

Limit the amount of time you spend
in bed not sleeping.

If these lifestyle changes alone don’t
improve the quality of your sleep, keep
a sleep diary. This will help identify
your sleep patterns. You can share
it with your therapist or physician,
who will help you develop a treatment
plan.

You may want to consider cognitive
behavioral therapy. This type of therapy
targets the thoughts and actions that
can lead to disrupted sleep. Cognitive
behavioral therapy sessions may include
discussing your thoughts about
sleep and learning relaxation techniques
to reduce racing thoughts and anxiety.
Researchers have found cognitive behavioral
therapy to be beneficial for
improving sleep in cancer survivors.

Treatment for difficulty sleeping may
also include the use of over-the-counter
or prescription sleep medications. However,
these treatments are not without
potential side effects. They should only
be used under the recommendation and
guidance of a physician. In addition,
these types of treatments do not provide
a cure for sleep problems but rather
short-term relief.

If you are having difficulty falling
asleep or staying asleep, or if you are
waking up too early or taking excessive
naps during the day, begin making
simple adjustments to your daily life,
as described. These changes, combined
with cognitive behavioral therapy (if
needed), can bring about long-term
improvement in your sleep quality.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Dr. Lisa Sprod is an assistant professor in
the School of Health and Applied Human
Sciences at the University of North Carolina
at Wilmington.

This article was published in Coping® with Cancer magazine,
November/December
2012.